Spun fleece, also known as polar fleece, is a lightweight, breathable, cushioning and quick drying material which when worn imparts warmth and comfort to the human body. It is especially useful for manufacture of socks intended to be worn during activities such as outdoor camping, hiking, boating, skiing and the like where cold and/or wet conditions are likely to be encountered.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,630, issued Sep. 19, 1995 to Don Hale, discloses a fleece sock and method of manufacture, and describes with particularity the advantages of fleece over other materials customarily employed for manufacture of socks for outdoor activities. The disclosure of the Hale patent is incorporated herein by reference. However, there are some disadvantages inherent in the fleece socks heretofore available, most notably; (1) a tendency of the sock to creep or slip down under the heel of the wearer's foot, to ball up under the foot, and eventually to cause the ankle and calf portions of the sock to creep into the wearer's shoe, leaving the wearer's calf and ankle exposed to the elements and causing the wearer great discomfort; (2) a tendency of the sock to bunch up over the wearer's instep, resulting in a poor fit of the sock on the foot and causing the wearer further discomfort; and (3) the extensive stitching required to form the sock, thereby creating seams that are confined between the wearer's foot and shoe at anatomically sensitive locations causing rubbing, chaffing and even blistering of the wearer's foot.